#SaturdaySpotlight is on Lynn Austin @LynnNAustin & Chasing Shadows!

Good Morning!

Been playing the crazy "catch-up" game since returning from SC. Hopefully by next weekend I'll be finished LOL! You may have noticed a new image in the sidebar here, but just in case you didn't, Pelican Book Group is hosting 2 huge giveaways so check it out!

Wednesday, Lynn Austin shared with us the story behind Chasing Shadows, today we get a peek into the novel itself. Take it away Lynn....

For fans of bestselling WWII fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequence.

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death?

Lena’s daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy.

Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined.

The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

Excerpt: Erik came to the townhouse the day after Ans returned home, looking as handsome as ever, yet in some ways, older and more hardened. She had almost forgotten how wonderful it was to feel his arms around her and to enjoy his soft kisses when they were alone. She reveled in the knowledge that she belonged to him, that he was watching out for her as they walked hand-in-hand, passing the ever-present Nazi soldiers. They balanced each other—she the impulsive and adventurous one, he steady and cautious. 

“Your letters meant a lot to me,” he said as they walked to the park together. “Especially when I was a prisoner-of-war. I really missed you, Ans.”

“I was so worried about you! Thank God you’re alright and we’re together again.” She could barely take her eyes off him. Erik’s handsome head of wheat-colored hair had been shorn when he first joined the army, but had grown back while he’d been a prisoner and was as thick and tousled-looking as before. They sat side-by-side on a bench, their hands entwined, watching a pair of swans in the canal. “What’s next for you, Erik?” 

“They said my job on the police force is waiting if I want it back.” 

“I could never work for the Nazis. They disgust me.”

“Ans . . . shh . . .” he whispered, looking all around. “You can get into a lot of trouble for talking like that.” There were other people in the park, couples reunited with their sweethearts, strolling the paths, watching the swans and ducks on the Steenchuut. Ans lowered her voice for Erik’s sake. 

“Don’t you feel the same way about them after the way they brutally attacked our country? How can you work for them?”

“I’m not working for them, I’m working for the people of Leiden. Protecting them. And you.” 

Taken from Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin. Copyright © 2021. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.  All rights reserved.

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org or on Facebook, Twitter @LynnNAustin, 

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OH my, Lynn a great hook for sure! Thanks for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed Lynn's visit this week, folks and you'll check back often for another edition Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight. Get your copy of Chasing Shadows HERE.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT